Apparatuses, systems, and methods for the automated dispensing of articles

Abstract

Provided herein is a system for automated dispensing of articles. Systems may include: a robotic arm; an end-of-arm tool attached to the robotic arm; a scanning device proximate the end-of-arm tool; and a controller to control the robotic arm and the end-of-arm tool. The end-of-arm tool may include a body and two or more vacuum cups extending from the body, where the controller controls a level of suction provided to each of the two or more vacuum cups individually. Each of the two or more vacuum cups extending from the body may be movable between a retracted position proximate the body, and an extended position away from the body of the end-of-arm tool in response to instruction from the controller. Suction may be provided only to the vacuum cups of the two or more vacuum cups that are disposed in the extended position.

That which is claimed: 
     
       1. An automated dispensing system comprising:
 a controller configured to receive a request for a plurality of articles to be dispensed; 
 a first storage module and a second storage module, wherein each of the first storage module and the second storage module comprise a plurality of trays movable between a storage position and a retrieval position, wherein each tray of the plurality of trays comprises a plurality of storage locations; 
 a track disposed between the first storage module and the second storage module; 
 a robot configured to traverse the track between the first storage module and the second storage module, the robot comprising a six-axis arm, wherein the robot is configured to access the plurality of storage locations of a tray in response to the tray being moved to the retrieval position; 
 a delivery device, wherein the delivery device receives the plurality of articles to be dispensed; 
 wherein the controller is configured to receive a request for an on-demand medication request; 
 wherein the controller is configured to interrupt retrieval of the plurality of articles to be dispensed to retrieve one or more on-demand articles of the on-demand medication request; and 
 an on-demand medication dispensing station, wherein the on-demand medication dispensing station comprises a plurality of patient-specific locations, each patient-specific location configured to receive therein on-demand articles for a single patient, wherein the robot retrieves the one or more on-demand articles from the tray in response to the tray being moved to the retrieval position, and dispenses the one or more on-demand articles from the tray into a patient-specific location of the plurality of patient-specific locations, wherein the dispensing station comprises a plurality of storage lockers, each storage locker accessible from a first side to the robot and comprising a locking door on a second side to prevent unauthorized access. 
 
     
     
       2. The automated dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patient-specific locations comprises a plurality of patient-specific bins. 
     
     
       3. The automated dispensing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third storage module and a fourth storage module, wherein the first storage module and the second storage module are arranged on opposite sides of the track, wherein the third storage module is adjacent to the first storage module, the fourth storage module is adjacent to the second storage module, and the third and fourth storage modules are arranged on opposite sides of the track. 
     
     
       4. The automated dispensing system of  claim 3 , wherein the third storage module comprises a refrigerated storage module, and wherein access to the third storage module is restricted relative to the first storage module. 
     
     
       5. The automated dispensing system of  claim 4 , wherein the third storage module comprises an upper closure door and a lower closure door, wherein access to a tray of the third storage module is provided between the upper closure door and the lower closure door. 
     
     
       6. The automated dispensing system of  claim 5 , wherein an opening is defined between the upper closure door and the lower closure door and sized to permit a tray of the third storage module to be moved from a storage position to a retrieval position. 
     
     
       7. The automated dispensing system of  claim 6 , wherein the opening is movable between a bottom most tray of the third storage module and an uppermost tray of the third storage module. 
     
     
       8. The automated dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the second storage module is a secure storage module, wherein access to the second storage module is restricted relative to the first storage module. 
     
     
       9. The automated dispensing system of  claim 8 , wherein access to the second storage module is controlled by the controller, and wherein access to the second storage module requires a different level of authorization than the first and second storage modules. 
     
     
       10. The automated dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein in response to the on-demand medication request including a patient order for two or more articles, the robot stores a first of the two or more articles in a temporary holding location attached to the robot while a second of the two or more articles is retrieved and dispenses the two or more articles to the patient-specific location in response to all of the two or more articles being retrieved. 
     
     
       11. The automated dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one tray of the plurality of trays comprises one or more tray inserts, each of the one or more tray inserts comprising at least a portion of the plurality of storage locations for the at least one tray, wherein the automated dispensing system further comprises a cart module, wherein the cart module is configured to receive therein a cart holding a plurality of tray inserts as the delivery device, wherein tray inserts from the plurality of tray inserts of the cart are exchanged by the robot with tray inserts of the one or more tray inserts. 
     
     
       12. The automated dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein each storage locker further comprising a unique indicator associated with each locking door, wherein the unique indicator provides an indication of a locking door associated with a requested patient-specific location. 
     
     
       13. A method of operating an automated dispensing system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a controller, a request for an article to be dispensed for a patient; 
 advancing a robot along a track between a first storage module and a second storage module to a location proximate a storage location of the article to be dispensed, wherein the storage location is one of a plurality of storage locations in a tray of one of the first storage module and the second storage module; 
 advancing the tray from a storage position to a retrieval position; 
 retrieving, by the robot, the article to be dispensed from the storage location in the tray; 
 receiving, at the controller, an on-demand medication request; 
 interrupting dispensing of the article to be dispensed in response to receiving the on-demand medication request; 
 retrieving one or more articles associated with the on-demand medication request; 
 advancing the robot along the track to a dispensing station wherein the dispensing station comprises a plurality of patient-specific locations, each patient-specific location configured to receive therein articles for a single patient; and 
 dispensing the one or more articles to a patient-specific location corresponding to the patient by dispensing the one or more articles to a storage locker of a plurality of storage lockers, each storage locker accessible from a first side to the robot and having a locking door on a second side to prevent unauthorized access. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein dispensing the one or more on-demand articles to the patient-specific location corresponding to the patient comprises dispensing the one or more on-demand articles to a patient-specific bin, the patient-specific bin comprising an identifier uniquely associating the patient-specific bin with the patient. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the article to be dispensed for the patient comprises a first article to be dispensed for the patient, the method further comprising:
 receiving, at the controller, a request for a second article to be dispensed for the patient; 
 in response to retrieving, by the robot, the first article to be dispensed from the storage location in the tray, temporarily storing the first article to be dispensed at a temporary storage location attached to the robot; 
 retrieving, by the robot, the second article to be dispensed from a second storage location; and 
 dispensing the first article and the second article to the patient-specific location corresponding to the patient. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein each storage locker further comprising a unique indicator associated with each locking door, wherein the unique indicator provides an indication of a locking door associated with a requested patient-specific location. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code instructions stored thereon, the at least one processor configured to, upon execution of the program code instructions, cause the apparatus to at least:
 receive a request for an article to be dispensed for a patient; 
 advance a robot along a track between a first storage module and a second storage module to a location proximate a storage location of the article to be dispensed, wherein the storage location is one of a plurality of storage locations in a tray of one of the first storage module and the second storage module; 
 advance the tray from a storage position to a retrieval position; 
 retrieve, by the robot, the article to be dispensed from the storage location in the tray; 
 receive an on-demand medication request; 
 interrupt dispensing of the article to be dispensed in response to receiving the on-demand medication request; 
 retrieve one or more articles associated with the on-demand medication request; 
 advance the robot along the track to a dispensing station wherein the dispensing station comprises a plurality of patient-specific locations, each patient-specific location configured to receive therein articles for a single patient; and 
 dispense the one or more articles to a patient-specific location corresponding to the patient by causing the apparatus to dispense the one or more articles to a storage locker of a plurality of storage lockers, each storage locker accessible from a first side to the robot and having a locking door on a second side to prevent unauthorized access. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein causing the apparatus to dispense the one or more articles to the patient-specific location corresponding to the patient comprises causing the apparatus to dispense the one or more articles to a patient-specific bin, the patient-specific bin comprising an identifier uniquely associating the patient-specific bin with the patient. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the article to be dispensed for the patient comprises a first article to be dispensed for the patient, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 receive a request for a second article to be dispensed for the patient; 
 in response to retrieving, by the robot, the first article to be dispensed from the storage location in the tray, temporarily store the first article to be dispensed at a temporary storage location attached to the robot; 
 retrieve, by the robot, the second article to be dispensed from a second storage location; and 
 dispense the first article and the second article to the patient-specific location corresponding to the patient. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein each storage locker further comprising a unique indicator associated with each locking door, wherein the unique indicator provides an indication of a locking door associated with a requested patient-specific location.